Conventional agriculture can lead to reduced soil organic matter and depletion in soil fertility. For that reason, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) recommends organic matter incorporation to soils to increase their agronomic quality. This work studies the effect of the transition to organic farming on chemical and biochemical properties of a loam soil (Xerofluvent), through a succession of five crops cycles over a 3-yr period. Two mature composts (vegetal and animal compost) were used for the organic fertilization. Soil chemical and biological status was evaluated by measuring total organic carbon (TOC), humic acids, bicarbonate-extractable P (Olsen-P), ammonium acetate extractable-potassium (AAE-K), Kjeldahl-N, microbial biomass carbon (MBC), microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN), enzymatic activities (dehydrogenase, protease, glucosidase, alkaline phosphatase), soil respiration, MBC/TOC, and MBC/MBN ratios. At the end of the study, the organically fertilized soils showed an increase in quantity (TOC) and quality (humic acids) of organic matter compared to inorganically fertilized soils. Nutrient content (Kjeldahl-N, Olsen-P, and AAE-K) also increased in organically fertilized soils. In general animal compost improved chemical and biological properties more than vegetal compost. Soil respiration was highly influenced by seasonal variability, and the highest values were found in summer. The MBC/TOC values indicated that microorganisms converted C to MBC more efficiently in conventionally fertilized soil. Protease and phosphatase activities differed between treatments after the third crop cycle, and the highest values were observed in organically fertilized soil. The TOC and nutrient content were correlated (P < 0.001) with microbial biomass and enzymatic activities. Extracellular enzyme activities (protease, glucosidase, alkaline phosphatase) were found to be significantly and positively correlated with MBC and MBN.

Related articles

Planning your fruit frost protection for the winter and spring is simple enough to do. With a few methods and tips for understanding what is the best kind of protection your crops need, you can survive the winter with little stress or worry. With our article, you will discover these very tricks for how to best use water irrigation for your crops to keep them from freezing. It is essential to keep these methods in mind not just for the winter, but also for the spring time when the flowering buds of your crops are...

In the perfect scenario everyone could rely on rainwater for their farming practices, but this is not always the case. This is why employing the right choice from the different irrigation systems available is crucial for agricultural success.
Irrigation systems are basically an artificial way to provide water to fertile soil for agricultural purposes. Crop irrigation is necessary to overcome such challenges as rain shortage and drought, and to keep up with the increasing demand for food. There are many options...

Throughout world including India, the Groundwater diviners/dowsers claim having the special extra ordinary powers within them by which they could find out the site, for constructing/drilling the bore / wells having best yield of groundwater with definite depth and yields. Literate and illiterate villagers & farmers are highly affected by the ground water diviners. In our country, farmers and agriculture farms are mostly dependent on the unreliable and uncertain rain water through monsoon season. In this...

Getting to Know Cannabis Farming
Israel’s agricultural industry is ripening for the beginning of medical cannabis export, with the expected passage of medical export legislation by the end of the year. The timing is particularly fruitful for growers who are interested in succeeding in a new venture that is still in its infancy. The rewards are also high: Israel’s Health and Finance ministries have assessed that international exports would generate $4 billion in revenues annually.
Getting started in...

In Bowen, Queensland, in 2010, Hibrix was compared with a high NPK mineral fertiliser program for the production of maize cv. Hycorn 675IT on an alluvial sandy loam soil irrigated via sub-surface drip tape. At commercial harvest, cobs from 20 randomly selected plants per plot from were harvested, weighed and the length, girth at the cob base and length of tip not filled with kernels was measured. The grain was removed from each cob and weighed. A subsample of 100 grains was selected from the grain from each cob...

Customer comments

No comments were found for Effect of implementing organic farming on chemical and biochemical properties of an irrigated loam soil. Be the first to comment!

Add your comment

Great! comment successfully added!

Contact

Your message:

Your email

Your first name

Your last name

I would like to receive periodic email updates and special offers from select suppliers.